Supermarkets are bracing themselves for a stampede this weekend as Brits go BBQ barmy, sending sales of burgers, bangers and booze soaring in the heatwave.

With temperatures set to sizzle at 24C (75F), making the UK hotter than Ibiza, Tesco expects to shift 25 million bottles of beer, a million packets of sausages and 200,000 steaks.

It has been hastily re-stacking shelves as families are expected to load trollies high with 100,000 barbecue chicken packs, a million bags of lettuce, 1.8 million packs of tomatoes and 1.2 million cucumbers.

Heatwave BBQ food and drink sales

10,000,000

‎1,000,000

200,000

Heatwave BBQ food and drink sales

100,000

1,000,000

1, 800,000

Heatwave BBQ food and drink sales

3,000,000

25,000,000

90,000

Tesco revealed the buying frenzy will see barbie-mad Brits snap up three million bottles of wine, 90,000 bottles of Pimm’s and 350,000 tubs of ice cream as the nation is bathed in wall-to-wall sunshine.

Tesco BBQ meats buyer Emily Stuart said: “Shoppers are wasting no time in stocking up and judging by strong early sales many people will be spending the next few days enjoying al fresco dining in their gardens.”

Heatwave BBQ food and drink sales

1,200,000

350,000

15,000,000

3 Day Weather forecast

Rival chain Sainsbury’s is expecting to see 10 million sausages - enough to go around the M25 five times - fly off the shelves.

And store bosses said a million burgers, six million bread rolls and 15 million strawberries would be crammed into Sainsbury’s shopping trollies.

Asda predicted a 70% surge in demand for burgers, a 17% leap in rose wine sales and said sun cream sales would rocket by 100% as frazzled Brits reach for the factor 30 to avoid sunburn.

(Image: Met Office)

Morrisons was also expecting a massive boost with 159,168 packs of burgers, 900,000 packs of ice lollies and 100kg of ice loaded into shopping baskets.

Marks & Spencer said its bakers were working flat out to bake 500,000 fresh rolls for Saturday morning, ahead of sales of 700,000 burgers and 250,000 of its “Posh Dogs”.

An M&S spokesperson said: “With temperatures set to hit the early 20s, we’re predicting this to be the first official BBQ weekend of the year so far.

“We know our customers have been itching to dust off their BBQs and picnic mats, so we are stocking up our shelves with delicious burgers, sausages and picnic treats to ensure we keep up with demand.”

Discount chain Aldi said burgers and bangers would be up by 50% with enough sausages sold to stretch 95 miles - the equivalent of going around the Isle of Wight three times.

And upmarket Waitrose is expecting a run on quarter pounders with its Aberdeen Angus range rocketing 385% compared with this time last year while sales of rose wine and cider have leapt by 25%.

Demand for ice lollies is expected to soar by 200%, compared with last weekend and demand for sun cream by 123% while kids sun block will see sales go through the roof with a 526% spike.

David Jones, Waitrose supply chain director, said: “This weekend customers will be expecting supermarkets to serve up summer on a plate. Alfresco dining, barbies and picnics will be sweeping the nation, with a glass of Rose thrown in.”